


Briar Rose

by MessintoMessages



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Fluff, Getting Together, Homelessness, IKEA, Light Angst, M/M, Strangers to Lovers, chef winwin, ikea worker lucas, like we are pretending we didn't see winwin's terrible cooking skills, okay pls ignore that one season of nct life where they cook okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-11-28 19:37:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20971940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MessintoMessages/pseuds/MessintoMessages
Summary: How a string of seemingly bad decisions brought on by a stunning stranger changed Lucas' life forever.ORLucas comes across his fate tucked up under an IKEA issued display bed.





	Briar Rose

**Author's Note:**

> This was prompt #W060: In which ikea worker, Lucas finds Sicheng sleeping in one of the display beds. 
> 
> I had so much fun writing this so I hope you enjoy! (esp the prompter omg hi)
> 
> Big thanks and lots of love to my beta reader, they did so much for this work ♡

Three things crossed his mind:

  1. He was about to lose his job.
  2. He was about to lose his job on his third day.
  3. He was about to lose his job on his third day after meeting the love of his life.

Now, there was a possibility that two of those statements were perhaps an exaggeration. But this was, in fact, Lucas’ third day on the job.

Maybe that was a good thing… an issue this big might be best accidentally handed to someone new and inexperienced. Maybe because of that, they would cut him some slack. You know, he’s the new guy! Things happen!

Yeah, he was about to lose his job…

His 50 something-year-old manager, who deemed smiles were only acceptable when speaking to customers, was the last person Lucas wanted to hear from at the moment.

“So,” his manager’s voice demanded over the hand-held radio strapped to his hip, “Have you handled it?”

He could be home right now. A stomach full of dinner snuggled up between blankets. But no. That was not the case.

Lucas sighed before ripping the radio off of his belt to lower the volume. Was he going to grace his manager with a response? Of course not.

As he said before, he was about to lose his job.

Fifteen minutes earlier, he had been getting ready to clock out–ready to go home and finally sit his ass down on the couch after his third day working in hell.

It really wasn’t his job that was the issue. Yeah, it was a retail job, but so far, he had enjoyed the experience of his first managerial position. Also, working at IKEA meant getting a discount, which Lucas found himself more than happy to indulge in, at least when it came to their food.

The issue specifically lay within his manager. During day one, he had tried to tell himself that they just got off on the wrong foot, that he would grow on him. But by day two, it was clear that it was going to be a bumpy ride.

The man was a walking cliché; Lucas was certain he had never experienced a more textbook example of an annoying, overbearing manager in the history of his working life.

So, one could only assume the anguish that took over his entire soul when his manager demanded that he look over security camera footage just as he was walking out of the back offices for the day.

“Lucas. What do you think that is.” Grubby little hands jabbed at the screen illuminating their faces. It was not a question. Lucas knew this.

“I’ll go check it out.” With a sigh and a forced grin plastered on his face, Lucas left the office.

The camera showed what had been someone looking to have tested out one of their display beds, and thus left it a mess in their wake. If a single chair was even an inch off its “designated” position, the man had a fit. So of course, a mess made of the covers on one of the beds was nothing short of a travesty.

But when Lucas finally made it to the offending piece of furniture, he found something that was worlds worse than some skewed bed sheets.

Upon arriving, Lucas didn’t really need to get that close to figure out that the cameras did not do the situation at hand any justice, as it was quite clear that whoever had gotten in this bed earlier had not left.

“Uhhh… What the...?”

Well, this was the opposite of good.

Should he radio his manager now? Get over the worst of it like ripping off a band-aid? Shivers ran down his spine. Putting it off it is!

Instead, he decided to assess the situation himself–maybe he could escape out the back door and never return. Live a life as a recluse, away from the world of managers one could compare to that evil stepmother in that story with the lost shoe.

But, as he got closer to the figure tucked up in the sheets of the IKEA issued bedroom display, he quickly realized he was comparing his life to the wrong fairy tale.

Lucas’ mind went completely blank. He was worlds away from processing what was in front of his eyes at that moment. What he was seeing bordered on otherworldly. Now, in all honesty, Lucas considered himself a pretty good-looking guy. He was more than used to receiving compliments regarding his appearance and had even been approached by a modeling agency while in college–which was tempting–until he actually tried it and realized that the industry was a bit too cutthroat for his liking. Thus, he broke his contract within a month and instead chose to focus on his education. And most days he regretted that decision, as all it landed him was a low-level retail job at IKEA of all places. But today? Today he was far from any regret.

The person in front of him was unlike anyone he had ever seen. And that alone said a lot, considering his brief stint surrounded by what society thought as the elite of the beauty community. But this person was incomparable to the beauty Lucas was used to coming in contact with.

He was painfully beautiful.

Ravishing.

But far from refined. While his delicate features weren’t done justice under the harsh overhead lights of the department store, Lucas could still tell there was something more to the man who lay in front of him. Something almost demanding in his disposition.

Lucas didn’t dare to imagine what kind of energy he exuded when fully conscious–although he didn’t have to, as suddenly his manager was calling him over his handheld radio. And unfortunately, it was jarringly loud in the otherwise silent store. 

He slowly looked up after quickly turning off the radio and was met with two owlish eyes.

Lucas felt himself break out in a panicked sweat as he had no idea how to handle the situation he currently had thrust upon him.

“I… uh- you? Um…”

He would have been flustered in this situation regardless, but the fact that he was faced with the most beautiful person he had ever seen made this whole ordeal that much harder. And that was when the dude was sleeping! Now, wide awake, dark eyes on display, the man looked even more breathtaking.

And that’s exactly what he did–take Lucas’ breath away, leaving him a sputtering mess.

A single thought popped in his head amidst his struggling: his devil of a manager was definitely going to call the cops. This person was clearly trespassing as they had already been closed for some time, not to mention he was found sleeping in one of their display beds.

Lucas broke his eye contact with the man, and as soon as he did his mind cleared, as though the trance he had been in had been broken. Although, maybe it hadn’t… as he found himself racking his brain as to how to get this stranger out of the building under his manager’s nose. 

The man cleared his throat, effectively snapping Lucas out of his thoughts, “So are you going to kick me out now, or…?”

***

Lucas’ inner voice screamed for him to shut up. This job was his current only means for living and he was practically throwing it away for some stranger.

“So, you’re telling me your dimwit of a friend thought it was a good idea to crash here until you got off work, but just happened to forget to let you know?” his manager seethed. 

“At least it was better than waiting hours for him to come get me from the airport or sit outside his apartment waiting for him to come unlock the door,” the stranger chimed in, which surprised Lucas. But he wasn’t complaining, the more help the merrier.

“Yeah, he told me he was flying in today, but I had just forgotten because it’s been hectic around here since I’ve started.” Lucas awkwardly chuckled, wishing for this conversation to be over sooner rather than later. 

The manager gave them a suspicious look, clearly still not convinced.

“I was jet-lagged, okay,” the stranger groaned. “You guys have beds here, hello? I was tempted.”

“Okay, and what about your bags?” the manager pressed.

“Does he look like one to lock his car.” He gestured over to Lucas, nonchalance radiating off him.

Lucas was impressed to say the very least. Maybe he really didn’t need to go out of his way, the guy seemed pretty capable of handling things himself.

“You’re lucky I’m not calling the cops,” his manager finally conceded, gesturing for them to leave.

Lucas had a feeling this wasn’t the end of the conversation for him, however. But that could wait until tomorrow.

The very last thing he wanted to be doing was staying around at his job any longer, so with that, he quickly scurried out of the building with one handsome stranger in tow.

“Uh…” Lucas’ keys jingled as he nervously passed them from hand to hand. The stranger had followed him all the way out to his car. “I’m pretty sure he can’t see us anymore,” he added, assuming that was the reason he was still blessed with his presence.

“Yeah, my boyfriend kicked me out. Finally. Took him long enough,” the stranger scoffed. 

Lucas sputtered. 

“I mean, I’m assuming you were curious, right?” he added with a small smirk. “An explanation was the least I could do, I mean you did really cover my ass back there. Thanks.”

“Oh yeah… no problem, uh… bro?” Lucas’ mind was racing. Boyfriend?!  _ Finally?! _

_ What was the big deal? _ Lucas thought, trying to calm himself down. Why did he care? What did it matter that the handsome stranger had a boyfriend? He should have assumed a person that beautiful wouldn’t be single.

But it did seem like they had broken up… he did say he had been kicked out. That was a good sign, right?

_ What was he even thinking right now?! _ Lucas internally screamed at himself.

“Well…” the stranger said, clearing his throat, as well as breaking Lucas out of his trance. “I should probably go…”

“Wait!” Lucas heard himself yell after him before he could stop himself.

He turned back around at Lucas’ outburst, eyebrows raised in question.

“Don’t you… uh… need a place to say? Cause, like, I have a futon that never gets used so if you need a place to crash?”

***

This was definitely one of those “record scratch, freeze-frame, I bet you’re wondering how I ended up in this situation” moments. But the issue was that he didn’t even know how things ended up like this.

Why in the world was there some handsome stranger in his bed?

This definitely had to be blamed on his weakness for the adorable. Turns out, the handsome stranger had some mad puppy dog eyes.

If only dramatic sighs could fix this mess he wound up in, which was currently having to sleep on his own futon, in his own living room!–when some rando was comfortably tucked up under  _ his _ covers, in the warmth of  _ his _ bed, probably snuggling  _ his _ plushies.

Despicable.

But as much as the rational part of Lucas’ brain told him how crazy this was, he couldn’t calm his fluttering heart.

The stranger’s name was Sicheng, as Lucas had found out shortly into the car ride home. At least he had gotten his name before welcoming him in to stay the night. That was something, right? Sicheng, the boy who had gotten kicked out of his ex-boyfriend’s place and had nowhere else to go–except to IKEA of all places. So it made plenty of sense for Lucas to invite him over. It made plenty of sense to offer Sicheng the only real bed in the whole apartment because Lucas slept in that bed every night; he could only guess when the last time Sicheng had slept in a real bed.

It made plenty of sense, all of his decisions thus far. Or at least that’s what was running through his mind as he tried to will himself to sleep, or rather what he was trying to convince himself of before sleep could comfortably take him. 

He wasn’t sure when he officially fell asleep, but it felt like ages before that happened. So when he awoke the next morning he was surprised to find what he did–or rather what he didn’t.

The blinds in his living room did not block out the sun well enough, so as soon as the light hit him there was no going back to bed. It was early, way too early considering he didn’t have to be to work until 9. He laid there for a while, considering his options, before ultimately getting up to start on some breakfast. It had been pretty late when he brought Sicheng home last night, so he was probably hungry. But as soon as he laid his eyes on his bedroom door, he realized he would only be making breakfast for one.

The door was open; he could see his empty bed as clear as day. The bed was made, the pillows propped back up in their place. Well, not their normal place, but the place that Sicheng decided they should go. The sight pulled at Lucas’ heartstrings for some odd reason, a feeling he wasn’t too fond of.

Sicheng was gone. Without a trace–well, almost. Aside from the displaced pillows, there was a faint scent of someone else left in his room as he sat down and ran his hand across the top sheet of the bed. Cold. He wondered how long he had been gone. Lucas was still surprised he didn’t hear Sicheng leaving–he was certain he slept rather lightly, yet he heard nothing.

And so with that, he began his day, with Sicheng still on his mind, something that wouldn’t change as the day went on. Lucas wondered why he left so early without saying a word, where he went, where he would stay tonight. Sicheng took up all the space in his head that he completely forgot what he was walking into at work, his stomach sinking at the realization as he entered the doors.

He didn’t want to, but he had to walk right past his manager’s office in order to clock in.

“Lucas, can you come in here for a moment.” Just as he expected, as soon as his manager caught sight of him, he instantly had to face his fate.

He walked in with a weak smile, preparing himself to get chewed out, screamed at, or most likely a combination of the two.

“You’re working in the warehouse today, you haven’t had experience back there, so I think it will be a good idea for you to get acquainted with it.”

Lucas blinked and his manager was gone. That was it? That was his punishment? His manager’s presence was cold, but he was expecting much worse. Not to mention the fact that it was a weak punishment, at least in his eyes. Being in the back meant not having his manager watch him like a hawk and judge every move. There was a different manager back there, and for some reason, he had hope for them.

What he failed to realize then, and wouldn’t realize until weeks later, was that being sent to the warehouse was practically a demotion. A demotion after one mistake, no warning, no second chance, four days into the job. But being away from his least favorite coworker felt more like a promotion to Lucas.

By the time the end of the day came, he was exhausted–of course, from practically starting a new job, but also from thinking of Sicheng. The other didn’t leave his mind all day, always there even if not at the forefront. So, by the time he punched in the code to his apartment he was more than ready to become one with his couch. And that’s exactly what he did up until his stomach begged him to get up and make some food.

But just as he stepped foot in the kitchen, there was a knock at his door. With a tired sigh, he trudged over to answer it, not even bothering to check to see who it was before opening the door, too tired, too hungry to really care.

But as soon as he saw who was on the opposite side of the door, he suddenly found himself caring. 

“Sicheng,” Lucas breathed out.

“Uh… Hey!” Sicheng scratched at the back of his neck, unable to make eye contact with Lucas.

In the few hours that Lucas had known him, he had only ever seen the man exude confidence. Now, however, he looked very nervous to be standing outside of Lucas’ door.

“Would you like to come in? I’m about to make dinner…” He thought it was best not to ask why he was back, although he might have an idea. The backpack slung over his shoulder gave him a hint.

Sicheng said nothing, instead choosing to follow Lucas inside, taking a seat at the countertop. He sat there for a while, not saying anything, just watching Lucas chop up some vegetables.

“I literally can’t watch this anymore, it’s physically hurting me to watch you cook.”

Lucas’s head snapped up in surprise. “I’m sorry?” He didn’t realize his vegetable dicing skills were so offensive.

“Can you just sit down? I’ll do it,” Sicheng insisted, slight irritation evident in his voice.

Lucas was still taken aback and a bit offended, but he was more curious than anything, so he went ahead and let him.

Turns out his cooking skills  _ were _ offensive. It only took a few seconds to realize that Sicheng was quite skilled in the kitchen. Lucas was mesmerized by how quickly he turned a simple grilled chicken and salad into an actual meal. It was as though he was watching a cooking show happening within his own kitchen.

“Your spice collection is quite scary,” Sicheng commented, as he dug through a cabinet that had seen better days.

“I kind of just cook to not die so…” Lucas responded, voice trailing off. He couldn’t help but be a bit embarrassed. It wasn’t like he didn’t know how to cook, but it sure wasn’t one of his favorite things to do nor was it something he thought himself to be good at. 

Sicheng looked at him like he grew a second head. “I can tell,” he huffed and went back to creating what Lucas was about to coin the best dish anyone had ever made for him.

They sat down as the small table Lucas had somehow squished between the kitchen and living room. Just by looking at the food in front of him, Lucas knew it was going to taste amazing. He was certain that even if he wasn’t starving his mouth would still water at the sight.

“I did what I could with what you had,” Sicheng said, shrugging. “It’s not spectacular by any means, but it’s edible.”

Lucas was more than convinced that was an understatement. And when the food finally hit his taste buds, he could say with no doubt that this meal was definitely edible.

“Sicheng, what the hell! This is absolutely amazing!” Lucas exclaimed, his mouth still full with his first bite. “I mean, I expected as much, you’re an absolute madman in the kitchen!”

“Well yeah,” Sicheng chuckled, “I kinda went to school for this.”

“No way going to school for a few years taught you how to do all  _ this _ .”

Lucas felt a bit stupid for being that excited over such a simple meal, but there was something completely different about the way the flavors settled on his tongue. Something filled with warmth, almost like his mother’s home cooking. There was a familiarity in the way it tasted while also being like nothing he had ever eaten before–he wondered if there were other people who got to experience this as well.

“Do you do this for a living?”

Sicheng scoffed, and the mask of the person Lucas had first met settled back onto his face.

“Hardly.”

And that was all Lucas got.

Trying to lighten the mood, Lucas let something leave his lips that he would come to realize was the catalyst to the rest of his life.

“Well, I would probably let you sleep here every night if I got to eat this kind of food every day.” A goofy smile settled on his lips–but when he saw the look on Sicheng’s face, it was quickly wiped clean.

“Sounds like a deal to me.”

By the time Lucas’ mind caught up to his mouth, he was already tucked up in bed. How in the world was he going to explain to his landlord about his new, clearly male roommate, now residing in his one-bedroom apartment?

On the bright side, at least he wasn’t sleeping on the futon.

***

“So how much do I owe you for rent?”

It had been almost a week since Sicheng had “moved in,” if Lucas could even call it that–he hardly ever saw the man. By the time Lucas woke up in the morning, Sicheng was already long gone, futon tucked up in its original position and a meal being held warm in the oven.

If it weren’t for the three meals a day that mysteriously popped up in his kitchen, he wouldn’t even have realized that he had a roommate.

Most days, Sicheng would be back shortly after Lucas got off work and make a beeline straight to the kitchen with a handful of groceries in tow.

Tonight, it was lasagna.

“Rent?” Lucas asked, looking up from his phone. They had been sitting in silence for a while, waiting for the food to be ready.

“You do realize I have been living here for the past six days,” Sicheng deadpanned, “and I plan on continuing to do that if that’s okay with you.”

Lucas looked at him with big, blinking eyes.  _ Was it stupid of him to consider the food rent? _

“I… um... well, it’s not like you’re really here except to sleep, and you do all the cooking. Not to mention this place is pretty cheap and you don’t even have a room. So, you know… it’s really not that big of a deal.” Lucas paused, sucking in a breath as he watched for some kind of change in Sicheng’s expression. “But if you want to help out, that’s more than okay,” he decided to add. And after a small smile found its way to Sicheng’s lips, he was glad he did.

“I do have a job, you know. Actually, I have two jobs. It would make me feel a lot more comfortable here if you allowed me to pay for something other than groceries.”

“You have  _ two _ jobs?” Lucas spluttered before he could stop himself.

Sicheng just chuckled. “I cook for a café in the mornings on the north side of town, then most evenings I flip burgers.”

Lucas watched Sicheng’s face contort as he muttered the last half of that sentence, and maybe that should have been a warning to shut his mouth right then and there. But curiosity got the best of him. This was the first real thing he found out about Sicheng.

“I take it you don’t like ‘flipping burgers’ then?”

Sicheng let out a scoff. “No, I don’t. But when you go from having a rich boyfriend paying your rent to being out on the street, you’ll take anything you can find.”

Lucas felt the venom dripping from Sicheng’s words, but no matter how awkward the silence they were now sitting in felt, he was glad he had asked. He filed the new information away, one more thing to add to the limited knowledge he had about the man.

The timer on the oven sounded, making Lucas jump out of his thoughts.

“I’ll set up a meeting with the landlord this week so we can get your name on the lease.”

Sicheng turned around from where he was pulling out the lasagna, shock on his face.

“Or not! I just thought I should let him know… but uh, if you, you know! Aren’t comfortable with that, then we can figure out something else!” Lucas internally cursed at himself, he didn’t mean to come on so strong.

Sicheng safely set down the steaming food, before turning around and marching right over to Lucas. There was nothing that could have prepared him for the feeling of Sicheng’s soft lips pressing against his cheek.

“I would very much appreciate if you set up that meeting.”

***

The problem turned out to not be with the landlord, but within Lucas himself.

The meeting went smoother than expected, although it was still extremely awkward for Lucas–but that was his own fault. He couldn’t shake the thought that his landlord was going to get ideas about their relationship. But, ultimately, the man seemed rather unfazed.

Regardless, Lucas couldn’t stop his mind from wandering. Whether he was at home, at work, or at the grocery store, Sicheng found some way to float back into his mind.

The worst part of it all was the fact that Sicheng really did mean it when he said he would be more comfortable there once he was helping with the rent. Which meant seeing a lot more of him. It went from casually eating a late dinner together–but otherwise never seeing Sicheng–to seeing him every moment the both of them weren’t at work.

The weekends were the worst. By the time Lucas got up, Sicheng would be coming back from his morning job, and he didn’t have to be back to work until the late evenings–which meant essentially spending the whole day with each other. It was pretty obvious that Sicheng didn’t have many friends in the area, or at least that’s what Lucas assumed, seeing as he chose to move in with a complete stranger rather than crashing at one of their places. But what Sicheng didn’t know was that Lucas also didn’t have many friends either.

He had gone to a small college over three hours away, and his hometown was even further than that. But he wanted to move to the city, and so he did, even if it meant taking the first job he could get. And seeing as he hadn’t lived there for even a month, he knew pretty much no one. Other than his coworkers, there was just Sicheng. So, Lucas was determined to get to know him better, and being awkwardly cooped up in the apartment with each other wasn’t the way he wanted to go about it.

“Have you ever been to the pinball machine museum?” Lucas asked. He had come across the flier he had been given on the way back from the bank the other day. “I guess they’re having some kind of promotional event this weekend.” He shrugged and handed the flier over to a curious looking Sicheng.

“Whoa, I didn’t even know these were a thing! We should totally go.”

“Yeah, apparently it’s like an arcade, but it’s only really old iconic pinball machines.” Lucas shrugged again, forcing nonchalance. “But yeah I’m down.”

In all honesty, Lucas brought it up hoping Sicheng would want to go, so of course he was excited when Sicheng agreed. But he needed to play it cool.

Fifteen minutes later, they were on their way. It was only a short walk from the apartment, yet Lucas struggled to fight the awkward silence. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to affect Sicheng, or at least from what he could tell. Regardless, it left Lucas desperately searching for words. But before he could find any, Sicheng was speaking up.

“You must be kidding me.”

Lucas followed Sicheng’s gaze until it landed on two men walking into the pinball museum. Sensing Sicheng’s disdain, he decided it would be best not to ask.

“Okay, just follow my lead. I promise to cook you the best meal you’ve ever tasted if you go along with this.”

Lucas looked over at Sicheng in confusion. All this time he hadn’t even been tasting the very best he could cook? How could he say no? Although, he wasn’t sure if it was the best idea to blindly trust Sicheng like this. But didn’t already do that when he let Sicheng move in?

After a few seconds of deliberation, Lucas nodded. “What’s the worst that could happen, I guess?”

Getting no reply didn’t make Lucas feel any better.

Sicheng took a deep breath, but didn’t move an inch.

“You know, if they’re people you want to avoid we can just come back another time,” Lucas proposed, ultimately deciding that he wasn’t the one in need of comforting. He had never seen Sicheng look so nervous before, and that was kind of saying a lot.

“No, this is something I have to do.”

Sicheng threaded his fingers through Lucas’ before marching across the street and straight into the doors of the museum. Lucas assumed Sicheng grabbed his hand for reassurance, but as he stormed up to the couple it was obvious Sicheng had no intention of letting go.

“Kun, how are you?” There was no harshness in his tone, none of the anger that had seemingly been the emotion he had carried since seeing this person. However, there was a layer of awkwardness, one so strong it made even Lucas feel uncomfortable.

“Really good, actually,” the man–Kun–carefully responded. “Ten has officially moved in.”

Lucas felt Sicheng squeeze his hand a bit tighter.

“Is this the boy you told me about? The one you’re living with?” Kun continued.

Sicheng curtly nodded in response.

“It was really sudden, I couldn’t help but be worried.” Kun was practically whispering as though he wanted to keep the conversation between the two of them.

Lucas could tell that whoever this Kun person was, his words were only placed in care for Sicheng, but Lucas was also aware of the look of disdain on Sicheng’s face.

“Lucas is a good person, Kun, you have nothing to worry about,” Sicheng quickly mumbled.

“Well, maybe we could all go out sometime so I could get to know-“

Sicheng cut Kun off before he could finish. “No. You’re not my parent. I’ll introduce you to him when you can realize that. I appreciate you worrying about me, but you need to take a step back for both of our sakes,” Sicheng said, quickly glancing over at the other man, presumably Ten.

Kun sighed and ran his hand through his hair, clearly trying to mask the hurt on his face. “I just want you to know that you can come home whenever, there will always be a spare room for you.”

Sicheng sighed. He had been doing a decent job at hiding his irritation, but it was clearly starting to seep through. “I’m happy with Lucas, Kun. We are happy. Your place is no longer my home.”

Something tight pulled at Lucas’ chest as he heard those words leave Sicheng’s lips. And despite their conversation before this, Lucas really didn’t feel like there was anything he had to “go along with”. Sicheng’s words felt real and Lucas couldn’t help but believe them.

Ultimately, the situation was tense and clearly uncomfortable for all involved, so Lucas decided to step in before anything could escalate. Maybe he didn’t have the authority to do so, but for some reason, he wasn’t too concerned about that at that moment.

He quickly smiled over at Kun and then laid a gentle hand on Sicheng’s arm. “Didn’t you say something about cooking me the best meal I ever ate? I am getting pretty hungry.”

“Yeah I did, didn’t I,” Sicheng responded still not breaking eye contact with Kun.

“It was nice to meet you two,” Lucas added before effectively pulling Sicheng out the door.

***

Sicheng was quiet for the rest of the day, so much so that Lucas was certain it would be the first time he wouldn’t cook for him. Sicheng had never once gone back on his promise to cook three meals a day, every single day, and frankly Lucas was beginning to feel a bit bad about it. He could help out too. So when Sicheng started pulling out pots an hour before he had to go to work, Lucas was quick to stop him.

“Let me cook for you today!”

Sicheng squinted at him for a moment before ripping the pot right back out of Lucas’ hand. “Number one, I don’t trust you in the kitchen after what I saw that first day. And number two, I’m not some fragile baby, Lucas, cooking is usually quite therapeutic for me actually.”

Lucas hummed, deliberating on whether or not to believe him.

“Okay, well too bad! I’m not leaving this kitchen so either you let me help or I’ll just make things harder for you.”

“I’m pretty sure either way those two things mean the exact same thing.”

“Really? Even if I just hand you things or wash the dishes?”

Sicheng groaned, but there was a smile on his face. “Fine.”

The meal ended up actually being one of the best things he had ever eaten, just as Sicheng promised.

“It’s definitely because I helped though.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Shut up.”

Lucas was at least confident that he sent Sicheng off to work in a good mood, but that didn’t stop his mind from wandering once he was alone.

And things didn’t seem much better once Sicheng returned home, looking more exhausted than Lucas had ever seen him.

“You get in the shower, I’ll warm up the leftovers,” Lucas said as soon as he had gotten a good look at Sicheng.

“Stop babying me.”

“And yet you’re doing exactly what I say,” he commented, watching Sicheng b-line it to the bathroom. “Interesting!”

The rest of the night was spent in near silence, and Lucas was sure it was going to end that way too, until he felt a dip in his bed. It had been a bit since they had said their goodnights–Lucas was sure of that as he must have been somewhat asleep not to have heard the door open.

“My back hurts.”

“Your back hurts?” Lucas paused, stupidly waiting for further confirmation as he wasn’t completely awake yet, thus very confused as to why Sicheng had ended up in his bed. But all he got in return was Sicheng’s arms slowly wrapping around his torso.

“Oh- Um, well maybe I can use my discount to get a new futon or maybe a day bed or…” he muttered, voice still heavy with sleep.

Lucas’ words fizzled out of his throat as he felt small kisses trailing up the side of his neck.

_ Or you can stay in here. _

“I’ve never cooked for Kun, you know.” Sicheng paused, which also gave Lucas time to properly breathe. “I cared too much about his opinion, I knew if he didn’t like my food it would have wrecked my confidence.”

Lucas had kind of put together that Kun had been the “rich ex” who had “kicked Sicheng out”. Although Lucas was pretty convinced he didn’t kick Sicheng out at all, but he was too scared to probe for questions. Sicheng was slowly opening himself up, and Lucas didn’t want to push him. Slow was fine.

Although, as soon as Sicheng stopped talking, his lips were back on Lucas’ neck and Lucas wasn’t sure if this was slow at all.

“He was probably pretty shocked that you said that.” Sicheng chuckled, but it sounded watery. “I think it made him feel like I didn’t trust him–the fact I wouldn’t cook for him. But I wouldn’t really cook for anyone, so I can’t imagine what was going through his mind when he found out I cook for you.”

Lucas turned over to face the older. He wasn’t completely sure as to what was going on, but it seemed like Sicheng needed to be comforted, and that he could do.

“I’m sorry if I did something wrong,” Lucas whispered, finally mirroring Sicheng and wrapping his arms around him as well. And as soon as he did, he felt the tension bleed out of him, allowing Lucas to pull him in tighter.

“No, it was actually perfect.” Sicheng sighed before continuing. “He’s been constantly worrying about me ever since I moved out. I think you saying that will put him at ease in some ways.” Sicheng scoffed, flopping over on his back. “I mean, it definitely hurt him, but I’m certain he will stop bothering me now.”

They both fell silent for a while before Lucas finally got the courage to ask what had been on his mind.

“But do you really want him to stop caring?”

Lucas heard Sicheng suck in a deep breath. 

“We had been dating for so long, and even before that we were childhood friends, so I don’t think he will ever stop caring. But I mean, I left for a reason.” A faint smile fell over Sicheng’s face as he turned back over to look at Lucas. “After we broke up, I had nowhere to go except back home, and that–well, that wasn’t about to happen. So Kun let me stay in his guest room for a while. But then we met Ten. The three of us hit it off instantly and I was too dumb to see that Kun and Ten hit it off in a different way. But by the time I noticed, I had already deemed Ten a best friend and things just got extremely awkward extremely fast. So, I left. As much as it hurt to see my ex and my friend be happy and in love, it hurt worse to know that they were walking on eggshells because of me.”

There it was. Everything was out in the open. Of course, Lucas still had questions, but just knowing Sicheng felt comfortable enough to open up to him was enough for now.

“Please tell me if I ever make you feel like that–make you feel like you have to leave,” Lucas found himself whispering.

Sicheng didn’t answer, instead choosing to bury his face into Lucas’ shoulder. “You  _ are _ going to let me stay in here now, right?”

Lucas quietly chuckled. “Fine. But only under the condition that you won't kiss me again without my permission.”

Sicheng hummed against Lucas’ neck, but before the sensation was too much for him to handle, Sicheng pulled away.

“Can I kiss you now?”

***

Lucas was more confused than ever.

He knew he wanted to get to know Sicheng better, to get closer to him. He knew he appreciated Sicheng and wanted to spend time with him. He also could easily say that Sicheng was one of the most beautiful people he had ever met. But did he want to kiss Sicheng?

Sicheng had given him little kisses here and there every once in a while, and he didn’t hate them, per se. It was more like they made him viscerally uncomfortable. They usually came out of nowhere and were never framed as anything more than just a peck. But that wasn’t what made Lucas uncomfortable. It was the fact that he really enjoyed it when Sicheng would kiss him and he wasn’t sure he was supposed to.

So, when Sicheng actually straight up asked to kiss him, he was left with zero idea how to answer. Even if he somehow could have dug up the right thing to say, Lucas was unsure whether it would have been able to cross his lips.

Instead of answering that night, Lucas had just let the heavy air between them sit, refusing to utter a word. The longer he had laid there, not daring to break eye contact with him, waiting for the moment that Sicheng’s face fell in disappointment from Lucas’ lack of answer, he realized that moment would never come. He realized that Sicheng would have sat there all night waiting. He wasn’t afraid of being rejected or was going to be hurt if Lucas said no. That realization alone made things worlds clearer for him.

He really wanted to kiss Sicheng. But it was not the right time.

“Let’s get some sleep, today has been a long day,” Lucas had whispered, finally giving Sicheng some semblance of an answer.

“Okay,” Sicheng had said back, the small smile he held since asking still faintly on his lips even after he closed his eyes.

The next day Lucas found himself with much less resolve.

Waking up to a fresh day and a cold bed left anxieties bubbling up in his chest. Sicheng was already at work, and maybe that was a good thing. He walked out to the kitchen to find a small breakfast waiting for him as always.

_ Nothing has changed,  _ Lucas tried telling himself, but he knew it wasn’t true. He had the whole day at work to fret over his feelings for Sicheng–something he wasn’t particularly looking forward to. But for now, he would enjoy his breakfast.

Distracted was a great way to describe where his head was at the entire rest of the day. He had known to some extent that he was attracted to Sicheng, but he felt too guilty about that fact to let it fully sink in before this. But now, he knew at the very least that he had a crush on his new roommate. The tricky part was figuring out if Sicheng genuinely felt the same.

He was a flirty guy for sure, but was he really interested? Interested in the kind of commitment that Lucas was looking for? Especially considering the majority of his affection came with a catch, usually in the forms of expressing thanks or seeking comfort. Those things didn’t guarantee he was on the same page.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a crashing noise. He quickly found out that it was a customer trying to retrieve their own furniture box which happened to be a bit tricky to maneuver onto their cart. He gave his supervisor a sheepish look before running over to help the man. It was technically his job to assist the customers, and he had been too caught up in Sicheng-land to notice the man was struggling.

He needed to focus. He already got demoted once, and he was pretty sure the next step down was being unemployed.

***

By the time Sicheng got home, Lucas was so nervous he felt like crying. Truthfully, he didn’t even know why. Or maybe he did. Whatever he had been trying to tell himself the whole day really didn’t even matter, because something  _ had  _ changed between them, and Lucas was worried that the change only really happened for him.

Regardless of how he felt in the moment, he still chose to deny it. He hoped complete denial would aid him in not acting like a fool, seemingly out of nowhere.

But alas, he was very wrong.

Lucas tried terribly hard to focus on the stupid game show he had put on the television in attempt to distract his mind from wandering further. He was doing a decent job at it too, until he heard the sound of the door being unlocked. His eyes naturally turned towards the sound, and before he could tear them away, Sicheng was barreling through the door, a blindingly bright smile plastered on his face.

Most days, when Sicheng came home, he looked exhausted and rather relieved to be back from work, but this time Sicheng looked exuberant. Lucas stared at him for a moment, not even uttering a greeting–partially because he still hadn’t shaken his nerves, but mostly because with that look on his face, Lucas just expected to hear the good news straight away. 

“Hi,” Sicheng said, slightly out of breath, before he quickly beelined it for the kitchen.

“Hi,” Lucas squeaked back.

He noticed then that Sicheng had a ton of groceries, like, an inhumane amount for just one person to be carrying.

Lucas shot off the couch quickly, making his way over to the kitchen. “Do you need help with those? Oh my god.”

Lucas watched Sicheng heave the bags onto the counter as he shook his head. “As a matter of fact, I need the opposite of your help. Go in the bedroom and don’t come out until I tell you to.”

Lucas blinked a few times, trying to process why he was being asked that, but his thoughts were quickly overtaken because Sicheng had said “the room”, not  _ your _ room,  _ the _ room. And from then on out Lucas was sure he was having a mild stroke.

Sicheng groaned and quickly spun Lucas around by the shoulders, shoving him in the direction of the bedroom door with one swift movement.

The next hour or so was spent in solitude. After recovering from the shock, it was easy to assume that Sicheng was cooking and he wanted it to be a surprise for Lucas this time. Regardless of the look of pure joy on Sicheng’s face earlier, he still felt uneasy about the whole situation. Lucas always just let Sicheng cook whatever for him, so every night was a surprise. But the fact that he had to be locked away, unable to even peek at what he was making, made Lucas feel unsettled. And he thought it was impossible to get more nervous than he had already been.

His mind started supplying him with possibilities. Was it Sicheng’s birthday? That would be awful because Lucas didn’t know, and he hadn’t gotten him anything. Did he find a new roommate, and this whole thing was a parting gift to Lucas? His stomach twisted at the thought of that one. Or, was it even worse than that? Did he get back with Kun? That would explain why he looked so elated when he walked in the door. Maybe Sicheng was finally cooking for Kun and that’s why Lucas had to hide because he would be over any second.

And he thought he wanted to cry  _ earlier _ !

Before he could fall deeper into the rabbit hole that was his tendency to overthink, Sicheng slipped into the room.

Lucas watched Sicheng open his mouth to speak, probably telling him to keep it down because Kun was on his way. But then he stopped, furrowing his brow as he got a better look at Lucas in the dimly lit room.

“Are you okay? You look like you’re about to barf…” Sicheng said, giving him a good once over.

“I don’t do well with surprises…” Lucas mumbled, cheeks warming at the thought that Sicheng noticed his worry.

Sicheng laughed, but it sounded more like a sigh. “Well, you’ll just have to hold on a few more seconds.”

Sicheng walked over closer to where Lucas was sitting on the bed, reaching down to grab his hand.

“Okay, no peeking,” he whispered as soon as they got to the door, hand coming up to settle over Lucas’ eyes.

“Uhh, I don’t know about this,” Lucas said, uneasiness lingering in his voice.

Sicheng said nothing, instead pulling the door open and leading Lucas out. They stopped somewhere Lucas could only assumed to be the dining table before Sicheng lifted his hand off of Lucas’ face.

“I know it might be silly but…”

Lucas did not take Sicheng to be a romantic, but what lay before them was definitely the most romantic thing he had ever seen. The table was covered in a cloth that Lucas hadn’t seen before, white and flowing over the table, just barely reaching the ground. Covering the table was a beautiful spread of food; it looked mouth wateringly delicious, but the way it was presented it almost seemed too pretty to eat. Towards the middle there were two tall candles, the only thing illuminating the room. But the thing that made Lucas’ breath hitch was the single rose held up in a small skinny vase.

After fully taking in the scene, Lucas looked over at Sicheng, who was still patiently waiting behind him.

“What is all this about?” he asked carefully.

The blinding smile was back. “Eat first.”

“That makes me nervous, but okay…”

Thankfully, it was virtually impossible for Lucas to not have an appetite. But even if the nerves got to him that badly, he was certain that nothing could hold him back from eating when the food tasted this good. Lucas hadn’t said a word since he took the first bite. Somehow, Sicheng kept surprising him, but he would be floored if he ever tasted something better than this. Plus, with food constantly in his mouth, it meant he couldn’t talk. He wasn’t kidding when he said he was nervous.

But all too soon, dessert had come and gone, and it was time to hear what Sicheng had to say.

“I got a job,” Sicheng blurted out, not wasting another second. “Like, my dream job.

Relief dripped off of Lucas. Sicheng got an awesome new job. This was a good thing, something to be happy about, not anxious.

“I’m so happy for you,” Lucas breathed out, smile suddenly matching Sicheng’s.

Sicheng was clearly waiting for his reaction because suddenly the words were pouring out.

“It’s been a few weeks since I applied, but I was too afraid to say anything because I didn’t want to jinx it, but I got it, I got the job.” Sicheng was practically glowing as he spoke. “I’m actually going to be a sous chef, like in a real kitchen. I’m actually going to get to  _ cook _ .”

Lucas laughed because Sicheng’s happiness was devastatingly contagious. “I’m not surprised at all, that’s what you’re meant to be doing, they could probably see that too. But seriously,” Lucas said, sounding slightly exasperated. “I should be doing something to congratulate you. Why does this feel like you’re doing something for me?”

Sicheng’s excited smile morphed into one a bit warmer. “Because, Lucas, you’re the reason why I got this job. Before moving here, I never cooked outside of work. But cooking for you brought back my passion for being in the kitchen. Recently, I have only known the mundane cooking that came with working in fast food, and I had forgotten what it meant to really cook. I had forgotten why I loved it so much. I fell in love with cooking because through the food I made, I was able to bring joy to people–most importantly, the people I care about. You reminded me of that, Lucas, every time I cooked for you, whether or not I was here to see you eat it.”

Something had definitely changed, and for the first time, Lucas wasn’t too sure it was just for him.

***

Lucas insisted on doing the cleaning. It was what he usually was responsible for anyway, but for some reason Sicheng was adamant on helping this time. But now it was Lucas’ turn to shove Sicheng towards the bedroom. Relief washed over him once he heard Sicheng turn the shower on. For the first time that day, he actually wanted time to think.

The nervousness and uncertainty were still there, but they felt different.

By the time Lucas had taken care of everything, Sicheng was already curled up fast asleep under the covers of Lucas’ bed—or maybe it was their bed now. Lucas didn’t know and he wasn’t sure he wanted the answer just yet.

He stood there for a moment, memories of the first time they had met flooding in. Sicheng was so beautiful when he slept. Lucas had no problem nodding off to sleep that night, thoughts no longer bouncing around in his head, threatening to prematurely grey his hair.

The next day, he felt lighter. It was easier to breathe, and work didn’t feel like it was slowly dragging on as it usually did. He still felt confused, but his head was clearer that day. And maybe it was only for a short time, but he felt that his mind had finally settled.

But Sicheng seemingly wasn’t as lucky today. He was clearly nervous, like something had been eating away at him from the very moment he had walked in the door—a stark difference from the day before. Lucas was unsure if he should ask about it.

“How… uh… was your day?” he tried.

“Oh um, really good actually.”

Lucas furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. If Sicheng’s day was that good, why did he look like had just received bad news?

“That’s good.” Lucas paused, questioning whether to push it. “It looks like something is on your mind?”

Sicheng was in the kitchen, warming up the leftovers from the night before. He didn’t answer until Lucas was sat across from him at the table.

“Well, I kind of found out exactly how much I will be making from the new job today…”

That must be it–why Sicheng was looking so unsettled. “Less than you thought?” Lucas asked.

“No, actually… a lot more. Enough to afford my own apartment.”

Oh.

Something ugly churned in Lucas’ stomach and he wasn’t sure he could bring the food on his fork up to his lips. He sat there frozen for a moment.

This situation was just temporary. The realization slapped Lucas in the face. How could he have been so naive to think otherwise?

Lucas knew Sicheng owed him nothing, so he did his best to swallow down the feeling of devastation because Sicheng didn’t deserve to witness that on Lucas’ face. Things were already awkward enough.

Lucas forced his best attempt at a smile. “Wow, look at you go! That’s great, Sicheng.” The words felt like sandpaper coming out of his mouth.

He couldn’t bring himself to say anything else for fear of his voice breaking. He saw something flash over Sicheng’s face, something akin to hurt or disappointment, but it was too quickly replaced with a smile for Lucas to know for sure.

The rest of dinner was spent in silence, and Lucas hated every second of it.

“You barely ate anything, does it not taste okay?” Sicheng said, finally breaking the quiet.

“Oh. No, of course it tastes good, you made it.” Lucas’ smile was genuine this time. “My stomach just hurts, that’s all.” It wasn’t a lie. For the first time Lucas truly couldn’t stomach Sicheng’s food.

Sicheng hummed, lost in thought for a moment. “You go lie down then, I’ll finish cleaning up.”

Lucas didn’t have the energy to refute, but as he laid down, the realization that Sicheng would be eventually joining him left him unsettled. It didn’t feel right, not tonight.

He dragged himself out of bed and into the closet, pulling out the sheets he thought he wouldn’t be seeing this soon.

“Why are you pulling out the futon?” Sicheng carefully asked.

“I’m going to sleep out here tonight. Just in case I’m sick.” Lucas tried his best to give Sicheng his most believable smile.

“If you’re sick, I should be the one sleeping on the futon.”

“It’s fine, I want to sleep out here.”

Lucas didn’t like the idea of throwing Sicheng back out on the futon because he was the one who was upset, so this was his only option.

Sicheng went silent and Lucas was too scared to turn around and see what emotion was held on his face.

“Goodnight, Lucas.”

“Goodnight.”

***

“Are you feeling better today?” Sicheng asked as he handed Lucas the grilled cheese he had been making.

“Not really.”

Sleep hadn’t come easy for Lucas the past few nights. Partially because Sicheng was right about the futon, it was quite uncomfortable. But mostly because Lucas was torn up. From the moment the words about moving out left Sicheng’s lips, Lucas knew it was the last thing he wanted. Whether he liked it or not, Lucas was now face to face with his feelings, and he couldn’t dare deny them.

Above all, he felt frustrated; what right did he have to ask Sicheng to stay? Lucas was just someone who helped him out in a pinch, and now it was time for him to move on. The ugly truth seemed to hurt more than anything Sicheng had said.

Lucas took a bite, cheese seemingly never ending as he pulled the sandwich away from him.

It reminded him of the first time Sicheng had cooked for him—he really could make simple meals taste like heaven. The numb pain in his chest hurt a bit more. Sicheng would no longer be cooking for him.

“Would you be well enough to come with me somewhere today?”

Lucas finally looked up from his meal. There was a pleading in Sicheng’s eyes that he couldn’t refuse. It was Saturday, and maybe that would be better than being cooped up in the apartment together for hours before Sicheng had to go back to work.

By the time Lucas got ready, Sicheng still hadn’t told him where they were going, and he ultimately decided it was better not to ask. Few words were shared on the way there. It wasn’t far apparently, close enough to walk to. But the direction they were walking confused Lucas, as he knew for a fact that there wasn’t anything up that way but residential areas for blocks.

Residential.

Lucas’ stomach dropped, and suddenly everything was happening too fast. Sicheng had turned and led them into a building, then he was speaking to someone, then they were in an elevator, then someone was unlocking a door. Too fast.

The woman Sicheng had been speaking to earlier started telling them about the apartment, leading them throughout each room. Lucas needed to say something, but he couldn’t. He felt like a fish out of water gasping for air. The woman was speaking too loudly, despite her hushed tone. The walls were suffocating him, despite the space being relatively open. Lucas was sweating, despite the air feeling cool.

“Can we- can we have a moment,” Lucas finally ended up choking out.

Sicheng and the realtor woman both looked over at him in mild surprise. The woman left too quickly, leaving Lucas no time to collect his thoughts. Sicheng looked at him in confusion. It was now or never.

“You don’t have to leave just because you can afford to now,” he quickly spat out.

Lucas was unsure Sicheng even could hear him with how low his voice was. The silence was excruciating and Lucas feared having to repeat himself.

“I’ve been waiting for you to offer.”

Lucas slowly let out the breath he had been holding in as he processed what Sicheng had said.

“Let’s go home?” Sicheng asked, holding out his hand to Lucas.

A small nod and fingers intertwining with his was all Sicheng needed before he dragged them out of the apartment.

They ran into the realtor on the way out.

“Thank you for your time, but I think we’ve made a decision on another apartment,” Sicheng stated proudly, squeezing Lucas’ hand a bit tighter.

It was as if they floated home, and Lucas was so caught up in the feeling that he barely registered what time it was.

“Oh my god, Sicheng, you’re going to be late!” Lucas said after finally checking his phone in the elevator up to the apartment.

Sicheng ignored him as he dug in his coat pocket for the keys.

“Sicheng!”

“Will you come back to bed now?” Sicheng whispered voice wavering in uncertainty. He hadn’t turned the lock over, simply holding the key in the door waiting for Lucas to answer.

The implications of Sicheng’s words hung in the air. He had known Lucas wasn’t really sick. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach, the hope that Sicheng did really feel the same growing stronger by the moment. 

“If you want me to,” Lucas chose to say, not particularly liking any other combination of words he could come up with.

Sicheng turned the key and pushed his way in through the door. Letting Lucas’ hand go, he walked straight over to the futon and grabbed Lucas’ pillow off it.

“Well, are you coming?” he asked, after putting the pillow back into the bedroom.

“Uh? It’s not even 6PM… And you’ve got work?”

“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I just got this really fancy job that pays really well, so I’m sure I’ll be fine with only one job for a few weeks before I start,” Sicheng said, shrugging his shoulders.

Lucas stood outside the room, watching as Sicheng got comfortable between the sheets, and, slowly but surely, he made his way over to join him. As soon as he got close enough, Sicheng’s arms reached out for him, pulling him onto the bed.

“Is it bad that I missed you the past few nights?” Sicheng whispered into Lucas’ neck as he snuggled in closer to him, arms wrapping around him tightly as if Lucas would somehow disappear.

Lucas couldn’t contain the smile that bloomed on his face. He was terrified, that was a fact. But the warmth in his chest was stronger than any negative emotion he was feeling at that moment.

“No,” Lucas responded. He was too afraid to move, scared that one wrong step would mess this up.

“Lucas?” Sicheng asked softly.

Lucas hummed into Sicheng's hair.

“Can I kiss you now?”

A wave of reassurance flowed through Lucas at Sicheng’s familiar question.

“No.” Lucas was sure the smile on his face couldn’t grow any bigger. “I’m pretty sure the sleeping beauty is the one that’s supposed to get kissed.”

Sicheng pulled away slightly to look up at Lucas, confusion written over his face.

Lucas stared down at him, taking in everything that was Sicheng. As he felt his heart beat rapidly against his chest, he thought back to that fateful day. He would have never imagined ending up here.

“The first time I saw you,” Lucas explained, “You were fast asleep, and I was convinced that you were the most beautiful person I had ever seen. My very own sleeping beauty.” 

A soft smile spread across Sicheng’s lips. “So, are you going to kiss me or what?”

And so, Lucas did. Maybe his story was like the fairy tale after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/kennaloveskpop?t=1548037588)   
[Twitter](https://twitter.com/kennaloveskpop?lang=en)


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